Republican State Senator Dan Bishop has been declared by multiple media outlets to be the winner of North Carolina’s 9th Congressional district race against Democrat Dan McCready:

AP calls it for Bishop. 2 point win for the GOP in #NC09.

— Geoffrey Skelley (@geoffreyvs) September 11, 2019

This celebratory video was posted on Bishop’s Twitter feed moments later:

WE DID IT #NC09!!!! Thank you North Carolina!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/hMohQZGl4w

— Congressman Dan Bishop (@jdanbishop) September 11, 2019

Trump is, of course, taking a share of the credit. Heh:

Dan Bishop was down 17 points 3 weeks ago. He then asked me for help, we changed his strategy together, and he ran a great race. Big Rally last night. Now it looks like he is going to win. @CNN & @MSNBC are moving their big studio equipment and talent out. Stay tuned!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019

As of this writing, Bishop is ahead by about 4,000 votes with all but two precincts reporting. Via Politico:

McCready has conceded:

BREAKING: Dan McCready CONCEDES #NC09 @wsoctv

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) September 11, 2019

In advance of today’s contest, the race had been widely portrayed as a bellwether race for 2020 by the mainstream media and Democratic political analysts. Will be interesting to see how they spin it now that the Republican has won.

McCready also had a big money advantage over Bishop, but in the end he came up short.

Here’s a roundup of news/commentary/reactions on the race from pollsters, Democrats, Republicans, (disappointed) journalists, etc:

Republican @jdanbishop Wins the North Carolina Special Congressional Election..

THIS CNN Political panel is thrilled … 😂⬇️😂⬇️ #MOOD #NC09 pic.twitter.com/zjrBnDd1lQ

— Stephanie Hamill (@STEPHMHAMILL) September 11, 2019

It is true! @jdanbishop was losing by 14 to @McCreadyForNC earlier in the #nc09 campaign.

We could not have comeback and won this #NCpol Election without the support of @realDonaldTrump @mike_pence @NRCC @GOP @CLFSuperPAC @club4growth @freedomcaucus pic.twitter.com/TrT7oSPVG5

— Jim Blaine (@JimBlaine) September 11, 2019

If Democrats want to understand how they lost to Trump despite gaining tons of ground in places like Charlotte & the Triangle, they need to visit Robeson County, NC right away.

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) September 11, 2019

A key ingredient to Dan Bishop's (R) #NC09 win was Robeson County, in the eastern part of the district. This was an Obama -> Trump county that McCready won by 15% in 2018. It nearly flipped tonight, with the Lumbee Indian precincts (in the west) moving most heavily GOP. #ncpol pic.twitter.com/17Ci590wgk

— J. Miles Coleman (@JMilesColeman) September 11, 2019

But even as McCready improved in the burbs tonight, he performed worse in many of the rural precincts and even in decent-sized towns like Lumberton. The Dems' rural and non-college difficulties continue.

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) September 11, 2019

The “Stacey Abrams won” wing of the Democratic party has some thoughts:

Bishop was heavily outspent by McCready but moral victory or something. #ncpol #nc09 pic.twitter.com/NiAskV0a0p

— Sister Toldjah 😁 (@sistertoldjah) September 11, 2019

But here’s the reality of what the situation on the ground here has been like:

It was. Bishop had to overcome the #NC09 absentee ballot harvesting scandal that sunk Harris.
Plus, HB2. Plus any anti-Trump sentiment.
So, yeah – it was a big win.
Consider what you'd be tweeting right now had he lost.#NCpol https://t.co/Agu9UpXmXj

— Pete Kaliner (@PeteKaliner) September 11, 2019

NC 11th Congressional district Rep. Mark Meadows (R) weighs in:

Huge night for North Carolina. Massive win for @realDonaldTrump and conservative values. @DrGregMurphy1 and @jdanbishop CONGRATULATIONS on outstanding races and job well done—now let’s get to work! #NC09 #NC03 #NCpol

— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) September 11, 2019

Bishop is already on it:

Bishop calls on D’s in US House to approve more funding to build the border wall w/ Mexico #ncpol #nc09

— Nick Ochsner (@NickOchsnerWBTV) September 11, 2019

Just a reminder: This race is the last race of the 2018 election cycle. Bishop will have to turn around in a few months and begin campaigning again for the seat for the 2020 election cycle:

The 2018 #NC09 election will be decided tonight

The 2020 #NC09 election will start in less than 3 months

Filing for 2020 races opens December 2 #ncpol pic.twitter.com/OOWhUMurKh

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) September 10, 2019

Enjoy these next few weeks of no political ads while you can, my fellow North Carolinians. 😉

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— Based in North Carolina, Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter. –